The Wrong Kind of Power

Back in the year 30, the ethos or worldview of society centered on power. As in, I have power and you don’t–sorry about your luck.

Every relationship was about who got to make and enforce the rules. From family to community to Rome and the Temple.

We need the constant reminder of how revolutionary Jesus was. He shunned political power. He could have had it. But it was the wrong way to go.

I think the worst moment in Christian history was when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome. Bishops went from being underground teaching in secretive house churches to having wealth and power.

The church went from attracting people by the joyous way they lived to forcing people to belong because it was the official religion of the Empire.

But Jesus, (remember him? The story was about him.), both taught and lived a worldview of each individual having a changed life. It’s not about forcing others to live like we tell them. That’s what the Pharisees and the Temple rulers did.

Jesus changed individual lives.

Before worrying about someone else and what they do, better to focus on changing yourself.